Steal Her Recipe: 6 Florida Bartenders Share Their Favorite Original Cocktail Recipes

Location: Delray Beach, Florida

Place of Work: Drift Kitchen & Bar – Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa

Years of Experience: 15

Kelly Luper is a bartender in Delray Beach working at the Drift Kitchen & Bar at the Opal Grand Oceanfront Resort & Spa. She’s passionate about showing her guests that mixology is as much art form as it is hospitality.

"As mixologists, we're not just making drinks—we're crafting experiences for every guest,” Luper said. “Each ingredient, each technique is a brushstroke on the canvas of flavor...it's about blending tradition with creativity and, above all, honoring the artistry of the moment."

The canvas of flavor painted in her original recipe below is nothing short of a masterpiece. This drink has premium silver tequila, pomegranate juice, agave lime sour and a float of what she calls “Grand Marnier Sea Foam” on top. If you happened to find a mermaid sipping a cocktail on the shores of Delray Beach, this is what she’d have in her glass.

The Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces Milagro Silver Tequila 

• ½ ounce pomegranate juice 

• 3 ounces agave lime sour*

• ½ ounce Grand Marnier Liqueur 

• ½ ounce egg whites

• ¼ ounce lemon juice 

• ¼ ounce simple syrup 

• Lime wedge

*Agave Lime Sour

• ¾ ounce fresh lime juice 

• ½ ounce agave 

• ½ ounce orange juice or orange liqueur 

For agave lime sour: Combine lime juice, agave and orange juice or orange liqueur, then stir or shake well to mix. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–5 days, shaking or stirring before each use.

For cocktail: Add tequila, pomegranate juice and agave lime sour to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for several seconds, then strain over fresh ice. Set aside. Add Grand Marnier, egg whites, lemon juice and simple syrup to a fresh shaker with no ice and shake for 30 seconds to make Grand Marnier Sea Foam. Add sea foam float to the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Location: Dunedin, Florida

Place of Work: Fenway Hotel, HiFi Rooftop Bar and Room 27 Speakeasy

Years of Experience: 10

Emily Roussell is a bartender in Dunedin, Florida who works at the Fenway Hotel, which means she gets to rock not just one, but two bars! The Fenway boasts the HiFi Rooftop Bar with incredible views and even better drinks, but also the Room 27 Speakeasy, which gives a nod to Fenway’s opening year with its swanky, Prohibition-era ambiance.

"Mixology is more than just mixing ingredients; it's about telling a story with every cocktail,” Roussell said. “My passion drives me to push boundaries, experiment with flavors and reimagine what’s possible, making every drink a masterpiece of creativity.”

Once you take a look at the funky, unorthodox ingredient list of her original recipe below, you’ll have to agree. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, though: the vegetal ingredients and citrus in this drink highlight the bright fruity notes in the base spirit, accentuated by the warm, lightly sweet liqueur. Cheers.

The Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces Hendrick's Grand Cabaret Gin 

• ¾ ounce Licor 43 

• ¾ ounce lemon juice 

• ¾ ounce beet-infused simple syrup*

• 4 drops celery shrub bitters

• Grapefruit wheel

*Beet-Infused Simple Syrup

• 4 whole beets

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 cups water

For beet-infused simple syrup: Boil beets, sugar and water. Simmer until the liquid deepens in color, then strain out the beets. Let the syrup cool before storing it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

For cocktail: Add gin, Licor 43, lemon juice, simple syrup and shrub to a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish by floating a grapefruit wheel and a celery leaf on top.

Location: Tampa, Florida

Place of Work: EDGE Rooftop Cocktail Lounge at Epicurean Hotel 

Years of Experience: 20

Speaking of hotel bars with great views, EDGE Rooftop Cocktail Lounge at the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa is one of the best in Florida. This is where you’ll find Tara Nelson, a bartender with 20 years of experience under her belt. Like Roussell, she delights in mixing ingredients you wouldn’t normally pair together to make a deliciously unique drink.

“Life is short, so be a mad scientist while you can!” she said.

Nelson's original drink was created as a nod to Tampa’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest, a huge pirate festival that takes over the city every January. Epicurean Hotel held an internal cocktail contest this year, and the Black Pearl came out on top as the clear winner. Now, everyone gets to enjoy the spoils of Nelson’s victory, including you!

Starting with Captain Morgan Rum as the base spirit (yarrrrgh) and mixing in espresso, banana liqueur and the wild card, spicy agave syrup, this drink is equal parts sweet and spicy. Yo ho ho and a bottle of YUM, right?

The Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum 

• 1 ounce espresso

• ½ ounce Charles Regnier Banana Liqueur 

• 1 ounce spicy agave syrup*

• 3 espresso beans 

*Spicy Agave Syrup

• 4 cups agave syrup

• 3 cups water

• 2-3 whole habaneros

• 1 jalapeño, sliced

For spicy agave syrup: In a saucepan, combine agave syrup, water, habaneros and sliced jalapeño. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for half an hour, allowing the peppers to infuse their heat and flavor. Remove from heat, let it cool and strain out the peppers. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

For cocktail: Add rum, espresso, liqueur and spicy agave syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over a large cube of ice and garnish with espresso beans.

Location: St. Augustine Beach, Florida

Place of Work: Embassy Suites Oceanfront Resort 

Years of Experience: 15+

If there’s one place where a good cocktail is a must, it’s at a beachside hotel, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Embassy Suites Oceanfront Resort on St. Augustine Beach. Here you’ll meet Jennifer Dixon, a bartender with over 15 years of experience mixing out-of-this-world drinks.

When Dixon first started out in the industry, she realized that her love of cooking directly translated to a love for mixology. Creating innovative drinks, pushing the boundaries with unique flavor combinations and sharing her passion with her peers is her greatest joy.

Her number one piece of bartender advice?

“Mixology is like life: If you’re not happy with how something has turned out, you have the power to shake things up. Change a few ingredients until you get something you love,” she said.  

Hear, hear! Dixon chose to share the recipe below because it perfectly embodies her own personality: complex, bright and strong. If you love a refreshing, summery cocktail, this one is for you!

The Recipe

• 1 ounce Atian Rose Gin 

• ¾ ounce Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions Cucumber & Lime Vodka 

• ½ ounce Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur                    

• 1 ounce grapefruit juice 

• ½ ounce fresh lime juice 

• ¼ ounce simple syrup  

• Cucumber slices

• 3 basil leaves  

Add gin, vodka, liqueur, grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled. Double strain over fresh ice and garnish with cucumber slices and a basil bouquet.

Location: Orlando, Florida

Place of Work: Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek  

Years of Experience: 11

Liana Rivera is a bartender at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek with 11 years of experience making sippable magic. Her favorite thing about cocktail creation is the ability to capture a moment inside a glass – a perspective that makes sense for a bartender working in the vacation capital of the world!

“Crafting cocktails became a passion for me once I realized I could express a season, a place or a vibe through a tasty concoction,” she said. “Passion of the Bay is a cocktail that will take you back to your favorite tropical place without having to leave your home.”

Rivera’s recipe is a fruity spritzer starring passionfruit puree. Next time you’re craving a bellini or mimosa, try this instead. We promise you won’t regret it.

The Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces Absolut Citron Flavored Vodka 

• 1 ½ ounces passionfruit puree  

• 1 ½ ounces lemon juice  

• 1 ounce La Bella Prosecco DOC 

• 1 ounce soda water 

• Lemon wheel 

Add vodka, puree and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into your favorite glass. Top with Prosecco and soda water and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Location: Vero Beach, Florida

Place of Work: 21st Amendment Distillery 

Years of Experience: 11

If I had a nickel for every time Prohibition came up in this article, I’d have two nickels...which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?

Bartender Brittany O’Leary works at 21st Amendment Distillery in Vero Beach, named after the 21st Amendment to the United States, which repealed Prohibition in America. 21AD will serve you whatever you feel like drinking, but their specialty is America’s official spirit: bourbon.

“My goal each shift is to get someone who doesn’t think they like bourbon to try it by breaking the stereotype that bourbon is a man’s drink,” O’Leary said. “An espresso martini with bourbon as the highlighted spirit is always a winner.”

So, here’s O’Leary’s own bourbon espresso martini recipe. Hers uses amaro, a bittersweet, herbal Italian liqueur and ginger liqueur. If you’re not a fan of a super-rich, chocolatey espresso martini, this recipe will give you the complexity you crave.

The Recipe

• 1 ½ ounces freshly brewed espresso  

• 2 ounces Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon 

• ½ ounce Averna Amaro Siciliano 

• ½ ounce simple syrup  

• ¼ ounce Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur 

• 3 espresso beans 

Brew espresso and chill. In a mixing tin, combine bourbon, espresso, amaro, simple syrup and ginger liqueur and fill with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with espresso beans.